Could This Bucs Hall-Of-Fame Receiver Find A New Home In New York
Updated: Jun 11, 2023
The NFL Draft is behind us and fans across the country now await training camp, which begins in July. But with the chaos of the offseason silent for now, could there be a major receiver trade still left in the works?
The New York Giants recently extended quarterback Daniel Jones, and hope that he can earn his money with an elite season. But in his first four years, he has not had very many weapons, but in this possible trade, he could get one of the NFL’s top receivers.
With Tom Brady retired and their veterans regressing after an 8-9 season with a poor playoff performance, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into once again another rebuild. One of their stars, receiver Mike Evans, is almost 30 years old and is on the last year of his contract.
Why It Makes Sense For The Giants
The Giants should be interested in the wide receiver, as he has posted 1,000+ yard seasons every year in his career. With the Buccaneers not expected to go far this year, and New York looking to make a deep playoff run after ending their playoff drought last season, Evans could be the boost to help Jones make the next leap in his young career.
With Jalen Hurts of the Eagles, and Josh Allen of the Bills, both having MVP-caliber seasons after their team traded for a superstar receiver, New York hopes that they too can add to the trend and get the most out of their 45+ million dollar signal caller.
Mike Evans’ Stats In 2022 Season
77 receptions, 1,124 receiving yards, and six touchdowns. The 77 receptions were Evans’ highest since 2018, when he caught a career-high 86 catches for over 1,500 receiving yards. The future hall of famer has over 10,000 career receiving yards in only nine seasons, with each season surpassing 1,000 or more.
He also has 514 career playoff yards from only 34 receptions. In his most recent game, which was versus the Dallas Cowboys in the wildcard game in Tampa Bay, he had six receptions for 74 yards.
The Trade:
Tampa Bay receives: 2024 second-round pick, 2024 sixth-round pick
New York receives: Mike Evans, 2024 fifth-round pick
Why It Helps Tampa Bay
This trade helps the Buccaneers because they trade an expensive aging receiver for a second-round pick instead of losing him next free agency for nothing. It allows them to start their rebuild, get two good value picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, and move on from the future Hall-Of-Famer.
Why It Helps New York
This trade helps the Giants because they get Jones a brand new weapon to pair alongside rookie Jaylin Hyatt, veteran Sterling Shepard, and tight end Darren Waller. It immediately makes New York a dark-horse Super Bowl contender.
It also boosts the confidence of their franchise quarterback, as the team looks to make its first Super Bowl since 2011. This trade might happen, but if it did, it would make a lot of sense and could shake up the NFL.
It will be interesting to see how Baker Mayfield and the Bucs fair this season, and whether their organization believes in a playoff push, or possibly a tank for star quarterback Caleb Williams, widely regarded as one of the best quarterback prospects in a long time.
If Tampa Bay goes another route and tries to replace Evans, another receiver could fit very well in Marvin Harrison Jr, the son of the Colts legend. And if the Giants don’t do this trade, they could experiment with speedy receiver Jaylin Hyatt and elite tight end Darren Waller.